What an adorable house! I hope you keep us updated with lots of pictures.

Thanks for the welcome! So funny that you mentioned FU! I told my husband that same thing- and how they would look at this and be excited to take on this house. The front porch IS sagging as well as the back laundry add on. Both will be torn off. I did a rough measurement yesterday and the sf is actually just a bit over 700sf. (not including the back add on) So much depends on the condition of the foundation as well as the studs/roof. We know that we will most likey be stripping it down to the framing, lifting it section by section to replace most if not all of the rock foundation. I am hoping that we can finish off the attic space, so the sf might double w/o having to do an add on. The hardest part is waiting until work slows for my husband so we can really get busy! One of my personal challenges I am giving myself is figuring out how we can add duplicity to the rooms via clever furniture design, much like they do for tiny homes.

Vanessa, your floor plan makes sense. Where is the front door, in the living area? I like that you have planned "away rooms," such as the office and den. Is the den meant for TV or quiet time? I was wondering since it opens into the office.

Wonder what the cost would be to raise the roof on a second story? Definitely post the floor plan with dimensions and windows on Kitchen and Remodeling forums. I happen to be the queen of built-ins and storage for a smaller home -- both in my last one and the current home. Like you, my husband was handy and did almost all of the work, including building cabinets for the prior home. I'm a widow now so hired others to do the work this time. My wd were behind bi-fold doors in the breakfast area. The entire front was opened up all the way to the ceiling. A coffee bar is there now but the lower part conceals my wd behind doors. The entire front portion unlocks and can be removed for appliance repair. In a very small bedroom, four large roll out drawers are beneath a platform bed. They hold out of season items. Also in that room, wall cabinets were built on either side of the platform bed, with a valance spanning the two cabinets. Those cabinets store books. A floating drawer is beneath each wall cabinet for bed side tables. I'm just trying to give you some ideas for going up instead of out.

What a lovely lot! So many trees...you must be very excited :)

It was a charming home and still looks it...past all the mess. The problem is, you'll still have a very small space for six people. And in the plan, your kitchen looks very small.

Have you considered repairing/replacing the front porch and putting the living room in that front area....and basically tearing down the rest?

It would be so nice to preserve the front facade and that roof line....but then bring the roof line straight back behind that (hip?) area and make it more of a ranch home.

While having stairs up to the attic for a playroom would be great, it would probably be easier to add on entirely new kitchens and bathrooms/laundry than to try to work with what is there.

And new electrical and HVAC will be needed too, right? We have a farmhouse with a very similar situation, but it's actually in a little better shape.

My grandmother used to live in a home with a similar style to yours. When she moved, we thought about redoing it (before farm) and we were told the roof was so bad and the structure so shot....it would be better to start over. The roof lines were too short to do anything and the foundation was too weak for a second story.

I know you're already planning to gut the house, but sometimes keeping the charm of the front (if possible) is really the best part of the original house. It would be nice if you could save it!

P.S. Fixer Upper is my favorite HGTV show! :)

Texasgal47- Yes, the front door would be near the kitchen area. The space just off the office is actually a mudroom for when we come in from the garage. Backpacks, jackets, shoes. I love builtins! I'm sure it was wonderful having a husband who could do all that! My stepdad is a wonderful woodworker, so I'm sure he'd pitch in to help with a few things like that.

lavender lass- Thanks! we are actually wanting to go a bit smaller. We owned a home previously that was 975 sf and I think short of not having a second bath, it would have worked wonderfully! I know not everyone likes the idea of being that cozy, though. One of the things I truly do NOT want is my living room by the front door, but I may have to be flexible with that. Luckily my husband's background is in HVAC.When he gutted our current home, he and his brother did all the wiring, added ductwork to the entire house, new pex plumbing, etc. Almost every sq inch of this current house is new. It just lacks trees and space. And not tomatoes - but as cute as the house may have been as a cottage- I have dreams of this being more mid century modern. I think that JoAnna has great taste, and I would love for her to decorate my home any day! As far as the kitchen size goes, I was basing it off of my current kitchen that is similar in dimensions. It would also be open on the north side to accommodate folks sitting on the other side. I think I drew the dining table a bit large, lol

With that being said, I am currently reevaluating this current layout, for something more simplistic and streamlined. (mainly for cost reasons). I am imagining a shed roof, with rain barrels to collect as much as possible off it. the entire north side being glass/and doors to the outside, attached garage with loft space that will be dedicated to my husbands home office, since he works from home full time. I think we could finish the attic space for the kids dedicated play space/media room, and a deck that would run the entire length of the home.

I also am doing some research on alternate siding/roofing for the home, as well as an inexpensive alternative to drywall. (is that even possible???) lol I really hate drywall.

This is a bit much for sf, but it's prob my fav design!!

This one would be a close second- though I would move the laundry to where the deck is( enclose that part, obviously, and make a mudroom that you'd walk through from the attached garage.

Love your yard and all those beautiful trees. Good luck on your rehab and be sure to post pictures. You will find those who post regularly on this site will be so friendly and helpful.

Vanessa, I do like your floor plans. The first one would be my first choice, too, but with some reservations. I believe the door openings for the middle and end bedroom may have been intended to be double doors to allow light and a view from across the hall since they have no windows. A skylight could be installed in the middle bedroom and a window placed in the end wall for the 3rd bedroom. My main concern is the lack of privacy for the master,since it has a connecting wall with the middle bedroom. The house my DH and I custom built when the kids were small had the master at one end of the house and the other two bedrooms on the opposite side. That privacy for both the kids and ourselves was wonderful. For that reason, I'm wondering if the master bedroom could be moved to the current kitchen location on Plan #1? Plan #2 already has that master bedroom separation. However, I'm with you in having a strong dislike for a front door that opens directly into the living area. That could be solved by enclosing the porch area for a foyer and attaching a porch to the front of the house. My current patio home has that type of set up. It seems to work well for a small home. There's a foyer closet so some sense of separation between the two areas. That set-up also enlarges the living area visually. To me, the main problem with plan #2 is too much traffic goes through the kitchen area.

Do you know that a gut / fix is a better choice than tear down? (Repairing a foundation section by section just seems more challenging.)

What is it that you hate about drywall? Living with it? Installing it? Ripping wallpaper off from it?

texasgal- I agree with the separation of the master from the kids rooms! that would be my ideal floor plan choice. I also agree with the kitchen traffic thing! I am still looking around for better floor plans.

meanom- honestly we aren't 100% sure yet until we get inside the house(which is boarded up currently) and see what the real damage is inside to the structure. Drywall is just so easy to damage. Nail heads popping through, seams, etc. But mainly bc of the dust/sanding/mudding part. lol

I still dream of an earthship/passive solar type home. :)

Sounds like an exciting project. I share your hatred of drywall. A pain to put in, a pain to repair and it has to be painted : )

What are the current dimensions? Which way does the front face? garage? If you have even a little southern exposure at least partial passive solar is not out of your reach.

That is a big project to be sure. We considered a similar one at one point. I think in slightly better repair but still huge. I think we are lucky that some one else's offer got accepted before we put one in. :) I think we are smarter and more aware of our time constraints now. Best of luck whichever way you go.